Safety a top priority in semi-pro football league

A recent story by ESPN about a semipro football league in Indiana and western Ohio portrayed a haphazard sport where equipment is lacking, major injuries are frequent and medical attention is provided by spectators.

But players and officials with local teams and leagues say that is just one view of a sport that is growing in popularity, and one of their top priorities is always player safety.

A recent story by ESPN about a semipro football league in Indiana and western Ohio portrayed a haphazard sport where equipment is lacking, major injuries are frequent and medical attention is provided by spectators.

But players and officials with local teams and leagues say that is just one view of a sport that is growing in popularity, and one of their top priorities is always player safety.

"It was disheartening to see that," said Tom Torrisi, president and CEO of the New England Football League. "I'd like to say, after 19 years, we are on the other side of that thing."

The MetroWest Colonials, a Marlborough-based team, is one of 42 men’s adult tackle amateur football teams that participate in the NEFL's three-tier league.

Torrisi said the league requires a certified EMT to be on the sideline for every game. Players do sign a waiver before the start of every season stating they understand they could be injured. And in case that happens, and the injury causes the player to miss time from their full-time job, the NEFL offers players insurance.

"We do make sure our guys get to work on Monday," said Mario Alvarez, general manager of the Colonials. "It is a working man's league."

New this year, the NEFL partnered with the New England Sports Medicine Council, which allows volunteer doctors to work directly with teams. When the relationship started in September, five teams already had doctors, said Anthony Morgante, the NEFL's vice president and director of football and business operations. Now, about 10 other doctors have expressed interest in working with a team.

"This is an opportunity for their doctors to be involved in the community and give back," said Morgante. "They have given us so much attention."

The doctors get specialized training in diagnosing and treating sports injuries and concussions, and have also arrived before games to help players with nagging injuries and to tape ankles, said Morgante.

Patrick Caruso is a semipro football veteran and the kicker for the Colonials. He also played for the now-defunct Marlborough Shamrocks back in the 1980s. The 50-year-old said at no point during his career has he felt player safety was taken lightly.

"We've always had everything that we've needed," said Caruso, a Marlborough resident. "Fortunately, I have been involved with two great organizations. I see nothing but good things as far as the safety of teams."

Although having a certified EMT at games is not mandatory in the Eastern Football League, in which the Framingham-based MetroWest Mavericks play, Mavericks General Manager Joe Gaylord said teams do everything they can to keep players safe.

"We definitely want to protect our players," said Gaylord. "There are a lot of teams around the league that don't have trainers."

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He added the Mavericks try to have EMTs at games when they can, but costs, and competition in the fall with high school teams and sports clubs, make it hard.

One issue the ESPN piece addressed that Gaylord was happy to see was the discrepancy in playing ability among some teams. Players range in age from 19 to 40 years old in these leagues. Some guys have played Division I-AA football in college, while others were mostly role players in high school.

"There is a wide gap," said Gaylord. "It is a concern for players and coaches. It is a knowledge of the game. We try not to put anyone on the field that can't protect themselves."

He added there are some players in the EFL who will try to exploit the weaknesses of other players, which could lead to major injuries.

The NEFL has attempted to prevent that by developing a three-tiered format, where similarly skilled teams play each other.

"You are not going to put a team from a small town in the Berkshires against a team from Lowell," said Torrisi. "It's a different style of football."

Both teams have suffered their fair share of injuries this season, including bruised ribs, a broken ankle and a concussion. But Caruso said he has never seen an injury so bad it made him rethink playing.

"It's definitely a different breed of person playing," he said.

And the league officials added in some cases it takes a little work to keep injured players off the field.

"The challenge is the players want to play no matter what," said Gaylord. "We had one game where a player got hit in the head and was ready to go back in the game. He had to be talked off the field and was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with a concussion."

Joe O'Connell can be reached at 508-626-3957 or joconnell@wickedlocal.com.